Dirty Crawlers at The Hobgoblin, Staines

Tom Cruise lookalikey Luke didn’t have much success with the lady. She was a real looker. A nine or a ten. She sashayed right up to him during the warm-up band’s set, so he must have thought his luck was in. But no, she was just trying to get past him, on her way out the door. So she had to squeeze her charming bod against his. And so he gleamed a chirpy smile towards her and he glinted those pearly gnashers of his. A twinkle in his eye. Hot giggity! But, no his advances and obvious good looks were not enough to turn the lady’s head – and she gave him one of those icy stares reserved only for…. dirty crawlers.

Last time the DC’s played The Hob, Staines it was a sell out. And last Saturday it was much of the same. It is unusual to have pretty girls, big lads and old guys together in the one place rooting for the same band. But this is the charm of this Staines based rock group. Girls like ‘em because they look hot and they play danceable, hippy-hippy tunes. The lads like ‘em because they play stirring, football-stadium sized anthems. And the old guys like ‘em because they play good old blues based rock and roll.

The band easily and convincingly fused with the audience at The Hobgoblin right from the outset, playing their fiery and brightly resonant sounds. A handful of new songs were presented to the eager crowd – hungry for more. But there were plenty of old favourites too. Well I say ‘Old Favorites’ because it seems amazing that this band have been playing together for only around 18 months. The band work off each other like old pros. They play like they mean business. The ‘Tom Cruise’ looking singer and guitarist mentioned earlier is Luke Wallin. His voice can effortlessly and easily sustain the melodic line and the soulful meaning of each lyric.

There was a funky, choppy new song called ‘Spaces’ and piles of other accomplished and formidably catchy tunes like ‘Bottleneck’ with it’s tribal drumbeats and addictive hooks or ‘Victim of Love’ with those nostalgic sounding bluesy chords and pile-upon-pile of lustrous textures. All through each piece, Kris glowered with moody concentration as his fingers ran up-and-down those frets like a prostitute’s panties. And the energised tempos from the drum and bass worked in joyful unison together with the pulsing, shuffling energy from the guitars; Reminding me of early work from the Stones mixed with the deepest harmonic structures of The Stereophonics.

Perhaps there is nothing very new. So, if you come along to a Dirty Crawlers show (and I highly recommend that you do) please don’t expect the avant-garde or left field. This stuff is not going to change the world. It ‘s just going to make it more pleasant to deal with. This is well-made, good-intentioned quality rock. This is dirty, boozy, gritty ‘Golden Age’ style rhythm and blues. Good enough for your old man. Good enough for your Grand Daddy too. And definitely good enough for you.